Capt. Art Conway of Conway’s River Rat Guide Service (804-746-2475) out of Ed Allen’s Boats and Bait reported that Chickahominy Lake mid-day main lake water temperatures had fallen into the low to mid 50’s by Wednesday (10/31/2012). The lake level was approximately one foot above the top of the dam. The water was light brown and very slightly cloudy in the lower lake. Most of the floating hydrilla mats in the main lake were gone, probably washed into the marshes in the storm. Many of the hydrilla mats in the major creeks had broken loose and were drifting.

Blue cats were hitting live minnows and were around bait schools in channels in the main lake. Active crappie were along the edges of the channels in the main lake and were hitting live minnows, Wright Bait Co. and Southern Pro curlytail jigs and tubes. Most bluegill had left the shorelines, but a few were in mid-depths, especially near wood cover, and were hitting small tubes. Bass, pickerel, and bowfin were scattered along the shorelines and mid-depths in the main lake. Bass were hitting live minnows, surface lures, soft plastic stick baits, crank baits, and plastic worms.

Fishing with Capt. Conway, Hollis Pruitt had 34 bluegill, 1 shellcracker, and 1 crappie. Capt. Bill Buck had 1 bluegill, 9 crappie, 1 pickerel, and 2 blue cats.